1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image display control technique for dynamically changing a display manner of a character image according to presence/absence of a command input relative to an input selection request in, for example, a video game apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, various kinds of simulation game apparatuses have been actively developed. In some simulation game apparatuses, attractiveness is enhanced by not only allowing a player (operator of the game apparatus) to operate motion of a character image, but also making the game itself storyful.
As the storyful simulation game apparatuses of one kind, there are available affectional simulation game apparatuses which aim to promote affectional feelings of heterosexual characters relative to a player. In such affectional simulation game apparatuses, parameter data are used for representing the degrees of affectional feelings or friendship of the heterosexual characters relative to the player. By effectively dealing with events, such as dates, and dialogues like dealing with heterosexual persons in actual life, the player can enjoy the game while promoting affectional feelings of the heterosexual characters relative to the player and viewing the course of changes of display manners of images of the characters.
In the foregoing affectional simulation game apparatuses, the dialogue between the player and the heterosexual character is normally advanced by means of an interactive command input by the player using a given input selection image so as to reflect the result of the dialogue on an affectional feeling of the character. Thus, if no command input is given by the player, the development of the game is stopped.
In view of this, various measures have been taken for urging the player to input a command. For example, in some affectional simulation game apparatuses, the passage or progress of time is shown to the player via an image interface until the termination of a maximum response waiting time for a command input by the player, i.e. the termination of an idle time, after the display of an input selection image up to the command input by the player. Specifically, the display contents of the image interface are set in advance per input selection image, and the passage of the idle time is shown at a particular area of the image interface so as to allow the user to confirm it along with options to be answered.
However, the foregoing technique only shows the passage of time in a visible fashion until the termination of an idle time, and does not reflect it upon the display manner of a character image. Thus, a feeling of tension can not be given to the player. Accordingly, if no command input is carried out by the player, the game can not progress all the same, and thus the display manner of the character image also becomes changeless.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a character image display control method which can reflect a command input state relative to an input selection request upon an image display manner.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image display control apparatus for carrying out the foregoing display control method.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a storage medium for realizing functions of the foregoing Image display control using a computer.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided, in an apparatus which displays a character image with expression on a display unit and performs a subsequent display process after receiving a command input from a player in response to an input selection request with respect to the character image being displayed, a display control method comprising the steps of counting, upon every occurrence of the input selection request, an elapsed time after the occurrence of the input selection request in a state invisible to the player; and changing, unless the command input is given by the player until a time point when the elapsed time reaches an idle time set for the command input, the expression of the character image being displayed on the display unit.
It may be arranged that when the command input is not given until the time point, the subsequent display process differs from what is performed when the command input is given until the time point.
It may be arranged that the character image is selected from a plurality of character images each of which has its own idle time.
It may be arranged that the idle time is determined by a function of a standard idle time predetermined for the character image and parameter data which are updated based on a past command input state of the player relative to the character image.
It may be arranged that the standard idle time is set depending on a personality feature of the character image.
It may be arranged that when the command input is not given until the time point, the parameter data are updated so as to shorten the idle time for the next input selection request with respect to the character image.
It may be arranged that expression of the character image is changed based on the parameter data.
It may be arranged that the command input from the player is interactively carried out via the display unit.
It may be arranged that the command input from the player is given by sound.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image display control apparatus comprising an image processing section which displays a character image with expression on a display unit; a request offering section which offers an input selection request to a player; a counting section which counts an elapsed time after offering the input selection request in a state invisible to the player; an idle time determining section which determines an idle time for a command input by the player in response to the input selection request; and a control section which, when the command input is not given by the player until a time point when the elapsed time reaches the idle time, changes expression of the character image being displayed.
It may be arranged that the character image is selected from a plurality of character images each of which has its own idle time.
It may be arranged that the idle time determining section determines the idle time based on a function of a standard idle time predetermined for the character image and parameter data which are updated based on a past command input state of the player relative to the character image.
It may be arranged that the parameter data are stored in an exchangeable memory, and that the idle time determining section determines the idle time based on the function of the current parameter data read out from the memory and the standard idle time.
It may be arranged that the control section changes expression of the character image based on the parameter data.
It may be arranged that when the command input in response to the input selection request is not given until the time point, the control section performs a subsequent display process which differs from what is performed when the command input is given until the time point.
It may be arranged that when the command input is not given until the time point, the control section updates the parameter data so as to shorten a next value of the idle time.
It may be arranged that the image display control apparatus further comprises an image interface section which controls the display unit to display an inputting Image for carrying out the command input interactively.
It may be arranged that the image display control apparatus further comprises a sound input section which allows the command input to be performed by sound.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image display control apparatus comprising an image processing section which selectively displays one of character images with expressions on a display unit; a request offering section which interactively offers to a player an input selection request for a command input triggering a subsequent display process; an idle time determining section which determines an idle time for the command input by the player in response to the input selection request; a counting section which counts an elapsed time after offering the input selection request in a state invisible to the player; and a control section which, when the command input is not given by the player until a time point when the elapsed time reaches the idle time, changes expression of the character image being displayed and causes the subsequent display process to differ from what is performed when the command input Is given until the time point.
It may be arranged that the idle time determining section determines the idle time based on a function of a standard idle time predetermined for the character image and parameter data which are updated based on a past command input state of the player relative to the character image.
It may be arranged that the parameter data are stored in an exchangeable memory along with parameter data for the other character images, and that the idle time determining section determines the idle time based on the function of the parameter data read out from the memory and the standard idle time.
It may be arranged that the control section changes expression of the character image based on the parameter data.
It may be arranged that when the command input is not given until the time point, the control section updates the parameter data so as to shorten a next value of the idle time for the character image.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable recording medium storing a program which causes a computer connected to a display unit and a data input unit to execute a process of displaying a character image with expression on the display unit; a process of offering to a player an input selection request with respect to the character image and counting an elapsed time after offering the input selection request in a state invisible to the player; a process of determining an idle time for a command input from the player via the data input unit in response to the input selection request; and a process of, when the command input is not given via the data input unit until a time point when the elapsed time reaches the idle time, changing expression of the character image being displayed.
It may be arranged that the character image is selected from a plurality of character images each of which has its own idle time.
It may be arranged that the program causes the computer to execute a subsequent display process awaiting the command input in response to the input selection request.
It may be arranged that the program causes the computer to, when the command input is not given until the time point, render the subsequent display process different from what is performed when the command input is given until the time point.
It may be arranged that the program causes the computer to execute a process of interactively receiving the command input from the player via the display unit.
It may be arranged that the program causes the computer to execute a sound input function of receiving the command input from the player by sound.
It may be arranged that the process of determining the idle time is a process of obtaining a standard idle time predetermined for the character image and parameter data which are updated based on a past command input state of the player relative to the character image and determining the idle time based on the obtained standard idle time and parameter data.
It may be arranged that the standard idle time is set depending on a personality feature of the character image.
It may be arranged that when the command input is not given until the time point, the parameter data are updated so as to shorten a next value of the idle time for the character image.
It may be arranged that the program causes the computer to change expression of the character image based on the parameter data.